


Never Gonna Run Around and Desert You

by Livefrommybedroom



Series: Missed Connections in the Second City [2]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo is MIA always, Ben Solo thinks buying a dog will solve everything, Chicago (City), Engagement, F/M, Leia just really wants grandchildren, Missed Connections, One Shot Collection, POV Ben Solo, POV Rey (Star Wars), Rey Kenobi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 06:38:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14491011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Livefrommybedroom/pseuds/Livefrommybedroom
Summary: Ben Solo is always missing, or running late, or buying dogs to make up for said missing in action moments.





	Never Gonna Run Around and Desert You

He should have been worried when a flight from New York to Atlanta was cancelled. It was perfectly sunny in New York City, a cloudless day, fifty degrees with a slight wind out of the north. Not a thundercloud in sight, only a few wispy, cotton candy-like clouds here and there. His meeting with the UN Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova had finished early, he found a five dollar bill stuck in a sewer grate (which he promptly gave to the next homeless person he saw), and he had an extra donut with his coffee that morning. It was a good day for Ben Solo.

But as he was standing in front of the arrivals and departures board at the airport, the sun dipped behind a rather dark cloud, and the next thing he knew the whole sky was black and the blue “on times” turned to red “delayed” next to every flight out of New York City. He swore under his breath, twisting his watch, uneasily glancing at the other passengers. The skies opened up and a torrential downpour beat down against the November earth, clouding his luck with misfortune. He debated if he should reschedule his flight.

Delays were never good, and usually ended in cancellations and a very pissed off Ben. He could switch his flight, but that might mean an even later departure. He just wanted to go home. He wanted to see BB-8 and get coffee at Stan’s and eat a leftover slice of pizza. He wanted to be with Rey. She would be crushed he wasn’t coming home. She had planned a big get-together for their eight month anniversary, which coincided with his birthday. His parents, aloof uncle, coworkers, college friends, and Rey’s friends were to all be in attendance for the big three-one. He wasn’t much for parties, but Rey loved them, and so he dutifully went along, laughing at her enthusiasm and whirling-dervish like antics.

He put his AirPods in his ears and made a FaceTime call to Rey. She picked up after the third ring, a smile plastered on her face, her now shorter and straighter hair tucked behind her ear.

“Hi Benny,” she said. “Why the long face?”

“Hi baby,” he replied with a sigh. “I don’t think I’m gonna make it back into the city tonight.”

“Oh,” she said softly. She twirled a ring on her finger, absently looking anywhere but the camera.

“I feel so bad, baby,” he continued. “I know how hard you worked and and it’s just this weather, it fucking came out of nowhere, and I’m so so so so sorry baby.”

He caught a glimpse of a tear in her eye, but she blinked and it was gone, if it even had been there. She gave him a small smile and he heard a bark in the background. Before he knew it, his girlfriend was covered by a rather large furry body that was BB-8.

“Ah! Bee-Bee! How was your day sweetie? Say hi to Dad!” Rey laughed. Ben smiled as BB’s face filled the camera. The dog pushed against the computer webcam as a hello and then turned to face Rey again.

She shooed the dog off her lap and next to her on the couch and Ben gave her an incredulous look.

“Bee isn’t supposed to be on the couch,” he said, exasperated.

“And you’re not supposed to be in New York. We’re all a little disappointing sometimes,” Rey shot back, anger flooding her tone.

Ben sighed and stared up at the arrivals board and then out at the sky. “I know baby, I’m sorry. I’ll try my hardest to get home tonight. Why don’t you invited everyone over tomorrow? I’ll call my parents and coworkers.”

Rey pouted as she petted BB-8’s head, but gave a slight nod, signaling that she was letting in. “I just wanted to spend your birthday with you,” she said sadly.

“Well, you’ve got me for life, if you’ll have me. That’s plenty of birthdays,” he said with a smile.

“For life? That is a lot of birthdays. You know I’m not sure that I’m ready for this kind of commitment,” she said trailing off with a laugh.

He shook his head with a laugh and shot her a wink.

“Get home safe Benny,” she said.

“See you soon Rey.” He ended the call and tucked his phone into his pocket. It was time for Ben Solo to do what he did best.

***

She was standing alone on a terrace overlooking South Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park. The city below was abuzz with New Years Eve delight and the chilly December air was seeping into all the crevices that her jacket and dress did not cover. Ben had bought her a knee length, burgundy wool jacket with a fur lined hood for Christmas and she treasured it dearly.

What she currently was not treasuring was the absence of said person.

She had made her way out onto to terrace moments before, wanting air from the stuffy room full of investors and other urban professionals. She had already celebrated the New Year with her friends earlier, drinking themselves silly at an Irish pub near her and Poe’s old apartment. They were currently at an event for Ben’s work and she really, desperately wanted to be anywhere with the tall man but here.

In addition, she had come down with a nasty cold a few days before, due to her lack of sleep from her Christmas activities. Ben had carted her all over the city in the days leading up to the holiday: shopping at the Macy’s on State, dinner in the Walnut Room, a kiss (okay more than a few) underneath the tree in Millennium Park, and a few spiced mules at the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza. All of this culminated in Christmas Eve at Han and Leia’s, great (read: fantastic) sex in Ben’s childhood bed, Christmas Day at Finn and Rose’s, as well as at Lando’s, and one mother of a cold.

So now it was New Year’s Eve, she was alone on a rooftop with a stuffy nose, feeling like Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer. She decided that she was only going to stay till after midnight and if Ben wasn’t ready to go, he could go fuck himself.

She leaned against the railing, and looked out over the city below. She needed a cigarette or one of those loud party favors, or something to occupy her hands and mouth and—

A pair of arms wrapped around her and a cold nose nuzzled into the gap between her shoulder and neck. Soft lips replaced the cold nose and she buried herself back against her boyfriend. He hummed and his hands roamed over her body underneath her coat, feeling her slight curves underneath the champagne silk gown.

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing out here all alone?” he whispered deeply into her ear.

“Waitin’ on some man to come and sweep me off my feet,” she replied easily.

“Baby, I’d treat you right, no man can treat you like I can.” She chuckled and turned to face Ben.

“How’s it in there?”

“Stuffy. My favorite commander left my side and disappeared, so the battlefield was hard to conquer.”

“Your commander would like to take the troops home,” she replied, pulling away to look up at his face and give him the most serious look she could muster.

“I believe that can be arranged.”

He nuzzled down close to her and the group inside began counting down.

_TEN_

She pulled him closer to her and framed his jawline with her gloved hands.

_NINE_

He lightly stroked the dips in her hips, and smiled down at her.

_EIGHT_

She breathed in.

_SEVEN_

He exhaled.

_SIX_

She smiled up at him.

_FIVE_

He brushed a piece of her hair back across her intricate hairstyle.

_FOUR_

The anticipation was killing her.

_THREE_

He leaned in.

_TWO_

And their lips met as the crowd shouted:

_ONE_

The fireworks went off over Navy Pier and Ben dipped her low, engaging her in a long and sensuous kiss that made her toes curl in the ridiculous shoes.

“Happy 2018,” she said, breathless from the kiss he had bestowed upon her.

“Happy 2018 baby.”

***

“So, when are you getting engaged?” Leia asked inquisitively, at their start of the weekly Skywalker family lunch.

Ben sputtered and the water in his mouth dribbled out the corner. He hastily wiped at his mouth and shot his mother a warning glance.

“Now, Leia,” Luke started, unwrapping his silverware from the burgundy cloth napkin at the Dearborn, a new favorite place of Leia’s. “Can we at least get to desert before asking these questions?”

Leia rolled her eyes at her brothers inability to grill her son for information regarding his love life. “I’m not even remotely sorry. Rey is my best and favorite student, and you are my best and favorite son—”

“I’m your only son,” Ben interjected.

“And I just want to see you, and her, happy,” Leia responded.

“But they’ve only been dating a year,” Han responded. “There’s no rush for them to get married.”

“Just because you dragged your feet for six years Han Solo. Does. Not. Mean. Ben. Has. To,” Leia said pointedly, stabbing at her salad.

Ben chuckled and took a bite of his salad. Despite it being over thirty years ago, Leia has yet to forgive her husband for his blunders.

“Honestly, we haven’t even spoken about it,” Ben replied, and as he avoided the looks of his whole family, sipped down some water.

Leia pursed her lips and sighed heavily. “I would like grandchildren sometime in the next decade, Benjamin Solo.”

“Mom, I am well aware. Rey just has a lot going on with work and I don’t want to pressure her.”

Rey had left Rebels and Resistance in January and started a job at Children’s Rights, a non-for-profit organization that protected foster children in the United States. She also had began taking Bar examination preparations so she could enroll in law school in the fall. She wanted to do pro bono work for foster and immigrant children in Chicago. She was currently in the nation’s capitol, lobbying for Children’s Rights with her coworkers Finn and Mitaka, and her boss, Maz.

It’s not like Ben hadn’t thought about marrying Rey. It was ninety percent of his day dreams during board meetings. Ok, ninety-five. It wasn’t like there was a decent sized ring sitting in a safety deposit box in a bank on Austin in Roscoe Village. Ok, it was more than decent sized. It wasn’t like he had bought it in October of last year. Ok, it was the last week of September and BB-8’s “birthday” and he just couldn’t help himself.

He just didn’t want Leia’s meddling self to know all of this. Knowing her, she would hire the Chicago Tribune reporter to interview him and Rey, stage the whole event, and have personal photographers swamp the grounds. She would insist upon a party with all her senator friends and Rey (read: Ben) would probably hate every minute of it. Ben wanted to do this his way.

Leia scoffed and turned back to her salad, tears already forming in her eyes. Han shot Ben a warning glance and Luke busied himself with his tea.

“Mom, come on, don’t cry. You’ll be a fantastic grandparent. I just don’t want to pressure Rey. I love her, yes, but I want to make sure that she is okay with getting married to me and—”

“Dealing with you for the rest of her life?” Luke asked.

Ben glared at Luke and Han burst into loud laughter, causing half the restaurant to look at their table.

“Oh man! Rey is in for a treat,” Han said wiping tears from his eyes. “Remember his “goth” stage during high school when he wanted to be called Kylo Ren? And he wanted to be in a punk band?!”

The whole table laughed, except for Ben. Ben sunk lower into his seat and sulkily chewed the lettuce from his salad.

His family was officially the worst.

***

_The Chicago Tribune_

ENGAGEMENTS

May 6, 2018

Senator Leia Organa Solo and Mr. Han Solo of Chicago, Illinois are pleased to announce the engagement of their son Dr. Ben Solo to Ms. Rey Kenobi, of Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Ben Solo, a graduate of Stanford University, is the CEO of non-for-profit, First Order in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Rey Kenobi graduated from the Masters of Social Work program at Loyola University in 2017, magna cum laude, and currently is head of the Foster Care Reform department at Children’s Rights in Chicago, Illinois. A March 2019 wedding is planned.

***

The shirt barely missed his head, as it was chucked over the kitchen island at him.

“Fuck you, Ben Solo!”

“Baby, come on, can we talk about this?”

Another slightly damp shirt was chucked at his head. His laundry probably didn’t deserve this.

“Don’t you ‘baby’ me! I could fucking strangle you!” Rey, red faced, yelled at him.

A pair of balled up socks were thrown at his head.

“Learn how to do your fucking laundry right, you pompous ass!”

Ben wanted to laugh at his fiance but he had really fucked up this time.

Their wedding shower had been the day before and Leia had invited an old senile aunt. Upon receiving her congratulations, the aunt had shot a few cheap shots at Rey about her family history and her future as a parent.

“I’m just saying that statistically, people who grew up without parents aren’t good parents themselves,” the aunt had said.

Rey had angrily defended herself, while Ben stood there in shock at his aunt. The two women continued to argue for a few moments, before Ben finally pulled Rey away.

“Baby, she doesn’t mean anything, don’t listen to her,” he said, attempting to pull Rey into a hug.

Rey planted her hands on his chest and pushed him away. “Thanks for defending me, you asshole,” she scoffed.

Then his fiance had turned on her heel and headed over by her friends, leaving Ben to sulk and sip his whiskey. She had banned him to the couch that night and now was content upon throwing laundry at his head.

“Rey, come on, I said I was sorry!” Ben said, raising his voice, only a little.

“Don’t you raise your voice at me Benjamin Solo,” she said, raising hers.

The tea kettle on the stove went off, and she angrily threw down the laundry she had been folding. She poured herself a cup of water and began steeping a tea bag in the hot water. She added a little sugar and took a sip.

Ben walked around the counter and resumed folding the laundry where she had left off. He stayed silent, knowing that speaking would lower his chances of survival at this point. She sighed and took another sip of her tea.

“I just want to be accepted by your family, but it’s clear that I’ll never be enough for them. Nobody wants me,” she whispers.

Ben whipped around to face her. She had tears in her eyes and his heart practically breaks. He moved slowly towards her, cradling her face in his large hands. “Rey Kenobi, you know that isn’t true.”

“But that’s how I feel. Your aunt’s comments raised every insecurity I have about making my own family. I’m upset at your for not stepping in and defending me, but I’m also upset at myself.” She paused, wiping at the tears on her face. “I think I need to be alone.”

And with that she ducked out from underneath Ben’s arms and walked to their room, shutting the door behind her, and leaving him alone with his own thoughts.

***

A loud snuffling from beyond the door woke her from her nap. She rubbed at her eyes, sitting up in their bed, and stretching.

She exited the nest of blankets and opened the door to find Ben sitting outside of it with his eyes closed and a black and white Border Collie puppy in his lap. BB-8 was sniffing the puppy, trying to figure out what this new intrusion in their lives was. Rey sat down on the ground across from Ben and his eyes opened slowly.

“Ben,” she said.

“Hmm?”

“Buying me a puppy won’t help this.”

He looked down at the puppy in his lap and petted it anxiously behind its ears. The small puppy opened its eyes sleepily and BB-8 retreated back by Rey’s side, pushing her head underneath Rey’s arm.

“I know. I just thought it might make you happy,” Ben said slowly, testing the conversation’s waters.

The puppy exited Ben’s lap and stumbled over to Rey. It gave a small yip before licking Rey’s leg and attempting to climb its new owner. Rey lifted the puppy up and began stroking it’s back.

“If you buy me a puppy every time we fight, we’ll be running a shelter soon enough.”

Ben laughed and scooted closer to Rey. He took her hand that wasn’t petting the dog and intertwined their fingers.

“I bought the dog because I wanted you to know that you’ll always have a family. Me, Bee Bee, and this little one will always be there for you. Here,” he said gesturing around, “And in here,” he said patting his heart. “And honestly, fuck my family. They’re ridiculous.”

“But I love Han and Leia and Luke,” Rey said slowly. “And I love you.”

He kissed her forehead. “You’ll make a great mom someday Rey; I know it,” he said. “It’ll take work, but I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

She gave him a small kiss on his cheek before turning to the puppy, who was currently failing at its climbing attempts and now whining. 

“What should we name this one?” she asked.

“At the shelter, his name was Artoo-Deetoo,” Ben said.

“Artoo it is.”

The puppy yipped in agreement.

***

“Ben Solo, where are you?” Leia whisper-yelled into the phone.

“Mom, we’re stuck in traffic on Michigan Avenue. I promise we’ll be there as soon as we can!”

“Only you would be late for your own wedding,” Leia said rolling her eyes. "You truly are your father's son."

Rey turned and faced Leia, a questioning look on her face. “Is he on his way?”

Leia nodded and passed the phone to Rey.

“Hey baby.”

“You got cold feet?”

“Nah, just running behind.”

“As usual.”

“Hey, blame Phas. She couldn’t zip up her pantsuit thingy.”

Rey heard Phasma’s indignant “HEY!” in the background. “Get here soon,” she said with a smile.

“Will do. You’ll be the one in white right?” She laughed and hung up the phone, handing it back to Leia.

She then turned to her bridesmaids, grabbing her bouquet and smoothing her dress. “Alright, let’s do this thing.”

***

The Archbishop glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, watching the young man fidget in his suit. He adjusted the cuff on his suit once more as a whimsical tune began, and the bridesmaids processed down the aisle. Leia had hired some musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to create a piece of music specifically for Rey to walk down the aisle to.

“Stop moving,” Phas whispered to him off to his left.

He chuckled and smiled as Rose and Armitage approached the altar before moving off to their respective sides. Jessika and Poe followed them down the aisle, beaming at Ben, before doing the same.

Rey hadn’t cared what her bridesmaids were wearing, requesting only that they be in green. Jessika, Rose, and Phas had all decided on an emerald green, but wore varying styles. Phas, his Best (Wo)Man, had decided on a pantsuit with a plunging neckline, while Rose was in a tea length fitted dress with ruffled sleeves. Jessika had opted for more drama and was wearing an off-the-shoulder, floor length dress with a slit up the right side. Rose and Jessika were carrying poseys of white peonies, pale pink and purple roses, Queen Anne’s lace, lilacs, and greenery. Hux and Poe, his groomsmen, as well as Poe (Rey’s Man of Honor) were in deep blue suits with emerald bow ties and small corsages of peonies and greenery.

Following Jessika and Poe were his parents. Leia was in a long sleeved blue gray dress with an overcoat that almost touched the floor. His father was in a crisp white shirt, with blue slacks and a blue vest. They smiled at Ben before taking their places in the first pew.

The music changed to something softer and the congregation stood up and turned to the back of the church, where a vision in white made her entrance. Her dress had a high neck and tapered waist. A cape hung around her shoulders, giving the dress layers and making her seem regal. Her hair was braided all the way around her head, like his mother used to wear when he was younger. Sprigs of baby’s breath had been braided into it, and the whole image made tears spring into his eyes.

He watched her walk down the aisle in almost a trance, forgetting that he needed to go down and receive her from Finn. The other man just shook his head as Phas gave Ben the much needed push down the stairs. He shook Finn’s hand and let Rey hook her arm through his as they walked up the stairs to kneel in front of the Archbishop.

The stained glass windows of Holy Name Cathedral created a multitude of colors that bounced off of Rey’s dress and gave the onlookers the illusion that she was in a rainbow. Ben was speechless and breathless and so so lucky that this beautiful woman was going to be his wife.

The mass progressed quickly and soon it was time for the couple to exchange vows. Phas approached Ben and handed him the slim wedding ring that would join the engagement ring on Rey’s finger. This wedding ring had belonged to his grandmother Padme, and had been passed down to him from his mother. Ben somehow found his voice in order to repeat his vows back to the Archbishop and to his new wife.

“I, Ben, take you, Rey, to be my wife. To have and to hold in times of emotion and in peace; in ignorance, and in knowledge; in passion, and in serenity; in chaos and in harmony. I take you with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you, with my faults and my strengths. I choose you as the person to spend my life with, and I promise to cherish you, and treasure you, and love you, all the days of my life.”

He fumbled with the ring and it slipped from his hand, but Rey was there to catch it and give him a big smile. She handed it back to him and he slipped it on her finger.

“I, Rey, take you, Ben, to be my husband. To have and to hold in times of emotion, and in times of peace; in ignorance, and in knowledge; in passion, and in serenity; in chaos, and in harmony. I take you with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you, with my faults and my strengths. I choose you as the person to spend my life with, and I promise to cherish you, and treasure you, and love you, all the days of my life,” she repeated back to him, flawlessly slipping the tungsten ring onto his finger.

He looked expectantly over at the Archbishop, and the man rolled his eyes.

“May I be the first to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Solo,” he said to the crowd. He then turned to Ben, “You may kiss the bride.”

Ben put an arm around her waist and pulled her close. She put a hand on his face as he dipped her, his lips closing over hers, and finally, making her his wife.

***

_The Chicago Tribune_

WEDDINGS

March 22, 2019

Rey Kenobi of Melbourne, Australia and Benjamin Solo, of Chicago Illinois, were united in marriage on Saturday March 9, 2019 at Holy Name Cathedral.

Archbishop Blaise Cupich officiated the ceremony. The reception was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art following the ceremony. The couple also took photos at the Garfield Park Conservatory.

The bride’s maid of honor was Finn Calrissian and Jessika Pava and Rose Tico were bridesmaids. The groom’s best man was Gwendolyn Phasma. Poe Dameron and Armitage Hux, friends of the groom, served as groomsmen.

The bride holds a masters degree from Loyola University and currently works for Children’s Rights in Chicago, Illinois. The groom received his doctorate from the University of Cambridge and currently is the CEO of First Order, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

After their honeymoon in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Phillipines, Rey and Ben will reside in Chicago, Illinois.

***

He rolled over and found her side of the bed colder than it was an hour ago.

He sleepily groped for her sleeping form and his eyes shot open when she wasn’t there. The room was dark, except for the streetlight across the street shining in through a gap in the curtains. He sat up and looked around the room. She wasn’t in the room at all.

He swung his feet off the bed and ran a hand over his face, before padding out of the room and down the hall. He pushed open the door and found her sitting in the window seat, knees tucked up under head and head resting on her forearms.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, I just couldn’t sleep.”

He sat opposite of her and looked at his wife. She had increasingly darker circles under her eyes and had been throwing herself into her work. She had a year left in law school and he felt that she was overworking herself.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing, Benny, I just can’t sleep.”

She was avoiding something, but he wouldn’t push it.

“Come back to bed? I’ll rub your back?” he said, reaching a hand for her.

She smiled up at him and took his hand, letting him lead her back to bed.

Rey laid down on the left side of the bed on her stomach, her head turned to look at him. He reached his hand up underneath her shirt and lazily drew circles on her back. They kept eye contact, brown meeting brown, a comfortable silence falling between the two of them. 

She adjusted herself a few times but her eyes finally closed and Ben felt himself start to drift off. His hand stopped and rested against her back. Her eyes slid back open and she brushed some of Ben’s hair back behind his ear.

She turned to face her husband, as a hand slid over her lower belly.

“This is your daddy, baby. He may work a lot, but he’s the best. He’s going to be such a good dad. But we’ll tell him about you another day. For now, let’s let him sleep.”

And with that she drifted off into a content and blissful sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I couldn't get this fic out of my head. Let me know what you think!
> 
> Here's how I pictured Rey's wedding dress: https://vaniaromoff.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/18-450x674.jpg


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